Sicily self guided walking vacation in Italy

Planet

Activity:
Walking has minimal impact on the environment as you provide most of the energy yourself and, when you’re walking from village to village, you can enjoy a relationship with locals in a way motorists passing through never can. On foot, you get off the beaten track, and you’ll find that people treat you as a visitor rather than a tourist. Also, by walking independently, and not having to worry about keeping up with a group, you set the pace so you can soak up the sights, sounds and scents of your surrounds and really get under the skin of the place you’re visiting.

We proactively encourage our clients to think about traveling responsibly too: packing light, saving water, buying locally, re-cycling all maps and route notes at the end of their trip as well as to be mindful of not leaving any rubbish behind.

UK Office:
We are aware of the impact tourism has at home and abroad, and we make every effort to balance the environmental impact of traveling with the immense benefits sustainable tourism can bring to destinations and the people who live there. We are signatories of Tourism Declares an Emergency and as such we have a plan of action on reducing our carbon emissions. We will work towards improving life through travel - for the places we visit on our adventures, the people we meet when there, and the planet which hosts us. Our cycling and walking vacations for example are designed to be low carbon - giving you the tools to explore under your own steam rather than in a vehicle.

In the office: we turn off all electrical equipment every night; we use energy-efficient bulbs; we measure print and paper consumption, and re-cycle wherever possible; we print our brochures on paper from sustainable sources, and send them out in bio-degradable packaging.

People

Leaders & local suppliers:
This seven-night self-guided walking vacation uncovers the secrets of Sicily's western coast and favourite off-shore islands- putting locals at the center.

We include on our trip a visit to historically the poorest and most remote area of Sicily, bringing economic support to the area. The region maintains its purity; you'll feel as though you're the first to discover its clear sapphire waters, hidden sandy coves and unexplored islands. This is certainly the place to visit if you want peace and tranquillity and to escape from it all; there are hardly any roads on Marettimo.

All your hotels are special in their own contrasting ways. In Scopello you stay at Hotel la Tavernetta, on Marettimo, your host, Fausto, meets you at the jetty with a luggage trolley (there are no roads) and takes you to his charming seafront residence (with pool and jacuzzi) just by the harbour; near San Vito you stay at Daniela's cosy five bedroom B&B hotel and enjoy great sea views from the luxuriant Mediterranean garden.

As with all our vacations, we encourage visitors to buy from independently-run shops & establishments where possible, supporting the local people and their families.